Inexpensive Firefly Craft Project for Kids

There are few things in this world more magical or inspiring than fireflies. Kids and adults alike can find wonderment in watching the trees and grassy hills light up on long summer nights like a glittering sky. These mysterious critters create an atmosphere like nothing else in the world. Crafting projects can be a great way to save a little money and use some recycled materials for your entertainment. In a few easy steps and with a lot of creativity, your kids can create beautiful glowing lightening bugs of their own for some cheap entertainment in the summertime.

Stuff You Need

Colorful construction paper

16 ounce plastic soda bottle (use a Sprite or 7-Up bottle, so that it is green)

Tape

Pencil

Scissors

Crafting Glue

Pom-Poms

Glow Stick

Two Pipe Cleaners

Any other decorative things, such as glitter, stickers, etc.

Get Started

Fold a sheet of your choice colored construction paper in half to create the body and head of the fire fly. Fold the sheep lengthwise and then cut or tear the paper along the fold. Wrap that piece of construction paper around the top and middle of the bottle and tape it in place. Leave the “butt” of the bottle uncovered to act as the butt of the bug.

Wrap a pipe cleaner around the neck of the bottle and twist the extra length of chenille stem to fashion two antennae at the bug’s head. Then take the one pipe cleaner left and cut it into six pieces. Glue three pieces to one side of the bottle and the other three to the other side for the firefly’s legs.

Draw a circle for the head and two matching wing patterns on a sheet of construction paper. Cut out these three shapes. Depending on the age and skill level of the children you are doing this project with, you may want to use a stencil and tracing paper for the circle and wing pattern of the firefly. Once you have everything cut out, glue the wings to the body of the bug and paste the circle on the top of the bottle cap to act as a face. Glue the pom-poms onto the circle face to act as eyes.

Let your kids decorate the bottles with the remaining crafts in any way they please. Glitter can be a fun accessory for this project to help make the glowing part sparkle. As the participants add extra decoration make sure that they leave the “butt” of the firefly clear and clean, so that it gets the full glowing effect.

Let finished bug dry.

Lastly, activate the glow stick and place it inside the bottle.

Kids will love designing and customizing their lightning bug. Also, after the first glow stick has stopped working, you can put another glow stick in. Let kids escape into a world of fantasy and mystery as they play with their fireflies at dusk. Sparkling through the summer nights, this project inspires creativity and whimsy.

This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for online colleges- http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99 @ gmail.com.